Easy Grape Salad Recipe

March 13, 2018  //  18 Comments »
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This simple Grape Salad Recipe is full of fresh red grapes, tossed in a sweet cream cheese dressing and sprinkled with brown sugar and pecans. It can be served as a side dish or dessert, and is perfect for spring and summer holidays and parties! If you’re looking for something a little different for your Easter menu, this would be a wonderful addition.

A bowl of grape salad topped with brown sugar and pecans.

Can we talk about how I never even heard of grape salad until about a year ago? I saw a video for it in my Facebook feed and I thought it looked… interesting. I admit, I was totally skeptical.

Fast forward to about a month ago when we were at my in-laws for lunch and my mother-in-law served up grape salad. Remembering it from last year and still skeptical, I gave it a taste. It was… delicious! She’s since made it again for Sunday dinner and it was a massive hit, everyone wanted the recipe.

That night, I Googled “grape salad” and lo and behold, it’s totally one of those old recipes that it seems everyone and their grandma have a (very, very similar) recipe for… except for our family, apparently! It was new to all of us and we’re absolutely smitten!

MY OTHER RECIPES

Easy Grape Salad!

An overhead shot of a bowl of grape salad.

Here’s the breakdown of grape salad, which was nearly identical in every single recipe I found online…

  • Grapes (of course!) – either all red or a mixture of green and red
  • Cream cheese – 8 ounces, always
  • Sour cream – 1 cup, always
  • Sugar – Anywhere from ¼ to ½ cup
  • Vanilla Extract – Between 1 to 2 teaspoons
  • Brown Sugar – Anywhere from a few tablespoons to a full cup
  • Chopped Nuts – Usually walnuts or pecans, and again anywhere from a few tablespoons to a full cup

As you can see, there is a standard list of ingredients that was the same in every recipe I found, but some of the quantities varied, so feel free to play around with some of the amounts!

A bowl with the cream cheese mixture for grape salad.

Grapes being tossed in a bowl with the cream cheese dressing.

 

Recipe Notes for Grape Salad

  • You can use all red grapes (my favorite!), all green, or a mixture of the two based on your personal preferences.
  • I used full-fat cream cheese and sour cream because I wanted a nice, thick mixture. Low-fat alternatives have higher water content so if you use low-fat just be aware that your “dressing” could be thinner or slightly more watery.
  • For a lighter version, use yogurt in place of the sour cream.
  • Some recipes use Cool Whip and/or marshmallow creme along with the cream cheese, which also sounds utterly amazing.
  • You can sprinkle the brown sugar and pecans before chilling, and the brown sugar will sort of dissolve into the mixture (SO GOOD), but be sure to give it a stir before serving if you do this!
  • You definitely want to chill this for at least an hour before serving, but the longer the better, which makes this a perfect dish to prep the day before serving. I love how fresh and crisp the grapes stayed, even days later.
  • There are many recipes out there that include chopped up candy bars like Butterfinger or Snickers. Who am I to oppose that?!

How Many Cups Are in a Pound of Grapes?

1 pound of seedless grapes contains about 2.5 cups of grapes.

A serving of grape salad in a small white bowl.

Heading into spring and summer, this is the absolute perfect side dish-slash-dessert when you want something light and refreshing.

Serve it up for Easter, Mother’s Day, graduation parties, Father’s Day, 4th of July, or any picnic or barbecue you find yourself invited to this year!

A bowl of grape salad stirred up with a spoon.

Four years ago: Shepherd’s Pie
Six years ago: Irish Whiskey Soda Bread with Irish Whiskey Butter
Nine years ago: Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Are Dessert Salads Your Jam? I Have More!

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Grape Salad

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Prep:10 minutes

Total:1 hour 10 minutes

This simple Grape Salad Recipe is wonderfully fresh, creamy, and sweet. It can be served as a side dish or dessert, and is perfect for spring and summer holidays and parties!

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 pounds (about 10 cups) red seedless grapes, rinsed and drained well
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and thick, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the grapes to the bowl and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the grapes into the cream cheese mixture until everything is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, or overnight.
  3. Prior to serving, sprinkle with brown sugar and chopped pecans. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes:

  • You can use all red grapes (my favorite!), all green, or a mixture of the two based on your personal preferences.
  • I used full-fat cream cheese and sour cream because I wanted a nice, thick mixture. Low-fat alternatives have higher water content so if you use low-fat just be aware that your “dressing” could be thinner or slightly more watery.
  • You can sprinkle the brown sugar and pecans before chilling, and the brown sugar will sort of dissolve into the mixture (SO GOOD), but be sure to give it a stir before serving if you do this!

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

All images and text ©Brown Eyed Baker, LLC.

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posted in Dessert Salads, Easter, Salads, Side Dishes, Spring, Summer
18 Comments »